Ravens training camp highlights: Monday

SETTING THE SCENE: Monday’s outdoor practice started at 2:30 p.m. and completely wrapped up at 5:20. Weather was sunny with temperatures near 80 degrees. Players were in full pads.

THERE GOES YOUR MAN: Second-year cornerback Asa Jackson, who is battling to keep his roster spot, had a rough afternoon in coverage. Wide receiver Torrey Smith beat Jackson in one 11-on-11 period. Jackson closed on him, but Smith slowed up and allowed Jackson to bounce off of him, giving him the separation he needed to catch the ball about 50 yards from where Tyrod Taylor threw it. Later in the practice, Jackson tried to jump a pass thrown to rookie Aaron Mellette, but he couldn’t get his hands on the ball. That failed pick attempt allowed Mellette to turn up the left sideline and gain a big chunk of yards before he was touched down.

OPERATION CHECK-DOWN: The offense completed several passes down the field, but quarterback Joe Flacco, who is without his security blanket in tight end Dennis Pitta, checked down a bunch of times and dumped off short passes to running backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce.

IN THE RED: The defense shut out the offense in Monday’s red-zone drill. Rookie safety Matt Elam nearly picked off Flacco when the quarterback threw into his deep zone. On another play, the defense sent a swarm of blitzers at Flacco, who overshot tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The offense did cash in from inside the red zone later in practice when Flacco lobbed a fade in the corner to wide receiver Jacoby Jones, who made an acrobatic catch over cornerback Jimmy Smith.

IMMOVABLE OBJECT: Brandon Williams, a third-round draft pick, has stood out in the trenches, which isn’t easy to do. The big defensive tackle has lined up at a couple of different spots and has gotten good push, particularly when playing nose tackle. Williams moves surprisingly well for a man his size -- so well that he has been getting reps with the kickoff return unit.

NOT YET A THREAT: Third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie, who signed as a free agent this offseason, is not seriously threatening Taylor in the competition to be Flacco’s backup. He has been inaccurate and his passes sometimes flutter to the intended target or sail out of their reach, particularly when he tries to throw on the run. Maybe he will look better in preseason games, but right now, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that Hanie has started four games in the NFL.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: As practice wound down, Flacco and Shiancoe, who joined the team Sunday, spent several minutes talking and working on their timing on a few routes. Shiancoe got some reps with the first team earlier in the day. He had a couple of catches but also dropped one pass.

YOUNG GUNS: Many veterans and first-teamers were dismissed from practice around 4:50, but young players stayed on the field for an additional half hour in a period the coaching staff is calling “Young Guns.” Rookies like linebacker John Simon and Mellette and second-year players such as safety Christian Thompson and running back Bobby Rainey got extra reps that they don’t normally get in practice and an opportunity to make an impression on the coaching staff.

GIVE ME A BREAK: The Ravens won’t practice on Tuesday. It’s the first off-day of training camp.

OVERHEARD: “K.O.! Ice cream!” -- nose tackle Terrence Cody, impersonating Forrest Gump from the movie “Forrest Gump” as he taunted Osemele with his frozen treat after practice. A pair of ice cream trucks, their annoying music blaring, drove onto the fields as practice wrapped up. Harbaugh said that only the defense, which won the day, could treat themselves.